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Skyn
When Fawl's ex dumps her for her stepsister, she takes the messiest deal imaginable: dig up dirt on an Elite family for a golden ticket out of the Underground. Simple, right? No. Now she's somehow *Checks Notes* married to an emotionless machine who's weirdly obsessed with her skin.
Content notes/warnings: extreme body modification, hints of cannibalism, intercourse in an altered state
Content notes/warnings: extreme body modification, hints of cannibalism, intercourse in an altered state
165 pages, ebook
Published October 7, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 392 reviews
October 17, 2025
This one kind of smashed?? More like this, please.
November 2, 2025
bro, what the fuck was this shit? 😭
October 16, 2025
Beep. Boop. Beep. She loves robot dick 🤖💦
Dystopian world where body modifications are highly praised, Fawl is shit out of luck. She has a nickel allergy which means no robo parts for her. She ends up being a SKIN BRIDE for a high ranking Councilman & helps him stage a mini rebellion.
Favorite moment: she kisses him & he actually glitches unable to let her go
I didn’t think I would enjoy this robo-romance as much as I did 🩵🤖✨ Fawl & Ben had a friendly (if disinterested) flirtatious start but when he went off his dampener drugs….ya baby, give me passion!
My favorite dystopian world in the series so far! Human’s trying everything to be more like the unfeeling robots while robots craved more soft skin. Also her ex was into CYBER PLAY!!? Like, he wanted her pretend to be a robot…ewww even in this context.
dystopian romance
unfeeling mmc
sex positive fmc
sick bed
body modifications
skin obsession
HEA
Dystopian world where body modifications are highly praised, Fawl is shit out of luck. She has a nickel allergy which means no robo parts for her. She ends up being a SKIN BRIDE for a high ranking Councilman & helps him stage a mini rebellion.
Favorite moment: she kisses him & he actually glitches unable to let her go
I didn’t think I would enjoy this robo-romance as much as I did 🩵🤖✨ Fawl & Ben had a friendly (if disinterested) flirtatious start but when he went off his dampener drugs….ya baby, give me passion!
My favorite dystopian world in the series so far! Human’s trying everything to be more like the unfeeling robots while robots craved more soft skin. Also her ex was into CYBER PLAY!!? Like, he wanted her pretend to be a robot…ewww even in this context.
dystopian romance
unfeeling mmc
sex positive fmc
sick bed
body modifications
skin obsession
HEA
August 6, 2026
After reading SKYN, I feel like I have to read every book Nikki Payne ever wrote because holy shit was this good. Like the other books in the anthology, this is post-apocalytpic, but it's also deliciously cyberpunk, reminiscent of late-90s/early 2000s works like eXistenZ and Neuromancer. Set in a world where social currency is driven by the number of cybernetic augmentations one has, the heroine, Fawl, has only just gotten her first: a diamond insert at her collarbone.
When she gets home, however, she discovers her longterm boyfriend has tossed her over for her modded stepsister, and the whole family is supporting this decision because they think it will allow for more social mobility and they're hoping to hop along for the ride. Discarded, Fawl ends up disgraced at her employment, and a laughing stock amongst her late peers. Her only option is to become a skin bride: a fetishistic consort for the modded part-robots who see being unmodded as a kink.
This is such a fabulous story with so many layers. It's about classism and wealth and resource hoarding; it's an allegory for colorism and fetishism of women of color; it's a look at mental health and creativity and what it means to be desired in a way that verges on being consumed. I loved Fawl and Ben, and their feral passion for each other was heightened by the dawning realization that they are both exactly what the other needs, in a way that transcends attractions that are only skin deep. I think this might be my favorite story in the collection.
5 stars
When she gets home, however, she discovers her longterm boyfriend has tossed her over for her modded stepsister, and the whole family is supporting this decision because they think it will allow for more social mobility and they're hoping to hop along for the ride. Discarded, Fawl ends up disgraced at her employment, and a laughing stock amongst her late peers. Her only option is to become a skin bride: a fetishistic consort for the modded part-robots who see being unmodded as a kink.
This is such a fabulous story with so many layers. It's about classism and wealth and resource hoarding; it's an allegory for colorism and fetishism of women of color; it's a look at mental health and creativity and what it means to be desired in a way that verges on being consumed. I loved Fawl and Ben, and their feral passion for each other was heightened by the dawning realization that they are both exactly what the other needs, in a way that transcends attractions that are only skin deep. I think this might be my favorite story in the collection.
5 stars
Currently Reading
November 14, 2025˚₊ ⟢┊pre-read 🖇️┊⊹࣪⋆
Premise seems good, so lemme take a sniff of this and judge it for myself👀
╴╴⊹ꮺ˚ After the End Collection ╴⊹˚ ╴╴
⟢ ♯01 ∼ first 🩹 ꒰ ✩ ꒱
⟢ ♯02 ∼ bait 🔥 ꒰ ✩ ꒱
⟢ ♯03 ∼ skyn 🦾 ꒰ ✩ ꒱
⟢ ♯04 ∼ m.a.y.a. 🐺 ꒰ ✩ ꒱
⟢ ♯05 ∼ brood 🤍 ꒰ ✩ ꒱
⟢ ♯06 ∼ taken ꒰ ✩ ꒱
⟢ ♯07 ∼ trade 🍃 ꒰ ✩ ꒱
⟢ ♯08 ∼ prima 🌊 ꒰ ✩ ꒱
─ ⟢・⸝⸝ Overall rating ~ stars pending…. ☆ .ᐟ ─
Premise seems good, so lemme take a sniff of this and judge it for myself👀
╴╴⊹ꮺ˚ After the End Collection ╴⊹˚ ╴╴
⟢ ♯01 ∼ first 🩹 ꒰ ✩ ꒱
⟢ ♯02 ∼ bait 🔥 ꒰ ✩ ꒱
⟢ ♯03 ∼ skyn 🦾 ꒰ ✩ ꒱
⟢ ♯04 ∼ m.a.y.a. 🐺 ꒰ ✩ ꒱
⟢ ♯05 ∼ brood 🤍 ꒰ ✩ ꒱
⟢ ♯06 ∼ taken ꒰ ✩ ꒱
⟢ ♯07 ∼ trade 🍃 ꒰ ✩ ꒱
⟢ ♯08 ∼ prima 🌊 ꒰ ✩ ꒱
─ ⟢・⸝⸝ Overall rating ~ stars pending…. ☆ .ᐟ ─
January 8, 2026
Not too shabby 🤭. I NEED MORE😭
October 18, 2025
2.75⭐️
this book had me questioning my intelligence bc why was I confused for so much of it?? maybe it’s me but I honestly think this needed another round of edits. aside from the egregious amount of typos in a finalized copy, this felt like how i’d write a book if I forgot to take my adhd medication. so many thoughts were started but not finished before jumping to something else. the storytelling was so choppy and just didn’t flow well. for having the highest page count out of the collection I don’t think it was used very efficiently.
this book had me questioning my intelligence bc why was I confused for so much of it?? maybe it’s me but I honestly think this needed another round of edits. aside from the egregious amount of typos in a finalized copy, this felt like how i’d write a book if I forgot to take my adhd medication. so many thoughts were started but not finished before jumping to something else. the storytelling was so choppy and just didn’t flow well. for having the highest page count out of the collection I don’t think it was used very efficiently.
October 19, 2025
1.5 ⭐
Maybe I'm too dumb. I don't even know.
Maybe I'm too dumb. I don't even know.
January 5, 2026
this one was kinda good! I'm surprised. but also:
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
After the End collection:
⤹ first by ali hazelwood °‧ 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 ·｡ [2.5 ⭐]
⤹ bait by adriana herrera .𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ [1 ⭐] dnf
⤹ skyn by nikki payne [2.5 ⭐]
⤹ m.a.y.a. by nina saxena ˙✧˖°🐺 ༘ ⋆｡˚ [0.5 ⭐]
⤹ brood by claire kent . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. [1 ⭐]
⤹ taken by elizabeth stephens .𖥔 ݁ ˖ ϟ ⚡︎ ϟ ˖ ݁ 𖥔. [0.5 ⭐] dnf
⤹ trade by cate c. wells ˚˖𓍢ִ໋`🌿:✧˚⋆𖧧 [3.5 ⭐]
⤹ prima by sherry thomas ⊹ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ˖ [2 ⭐]
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
After the End collection:
⤹ first by ali hazelwood °‧ 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 ·｡ [2.5 ⭐]
⤹ bait by adriana herrera .𖥔 ݁ ˖ִ ࣪⚝₊ ⊹˚ [1 ⭐] dnf
⤹ skyn by nikki payne [2.5 ⭐]
⤹ m.a.y.a. by nina saxena ˙✧˖°🐺 ༘ ⋆｡˚ [0.5 ⭐]
⤹ brood by claire kent . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁. [1 ⭐]
⤹ taken by elizabeth stephens .𖥔 ݁ ˖ ϟ ⚡︎ ϟ ˖ ݁ 𖥔. [0.5 ⭐] dnf
⤹ trade by cate c. wells ˚˖𓍢ִ໋`🌿:✧˚⋆𖧧 [3.5 ⭐]
⤹ prima by sherry thomas ⊹ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ˖ [2 ⭐]
October 17, 2025
I am actively unmotivated to finish this book.
The writing is not great and especially the world building is bad. I have no idea what is happening.
It got a bit better after the first quarter of the book, but ain’t nobody got time for this.
And again with the sexual violence (just “service” other people for a few years and you might die but you will probably rich. Like???????!), why is this a thing suddenly?
The writing is not great and especially the world building is bad. I have no idea what is happening.
It got a bit better after the first quarter of the book, but ain’t nobody got time for this.
And again with the sexual violence (just “service” other people for a few years and you might die but you will probably rich. Like???????!), why is this a thing suddenly?
October 24, 2025
Cyborgs are basically one percenters, puny humans with all their weak regular parts are at the bottom of the barrel quite literally. They are all living underground toiling away in mines. Moving closer to the top is nearly impossible unless you sell yourself as a skin bride. Cyborgs apparently have a fetish for skin and keep concubines. The intrepid FMC gets dumped by her ambitious bf who is now moving up to the top and can't be saddled with a human, she has foolishly given him everything and he leaves her more destitute than before. She gives the skin bride thing a go while promising to spy for some sort of resistance in the mines. The cyborg who "acquires" her is not what she expected and things take a wild turn once she's topside and it's not just the cyborg sex.
This one had the best premise so far but the execution was a tad messy and confusing. There was just way too much going on and I feel like the plot was way too expansive for a novella and that's why it came off as confusing. The romance was okay but it was not the focus so I found it pretty weak. The end like in Bait was sort of HFN. Felt very abrupt and tied up in a hurry. I liked the MMC, a horny cyborg who was a Wife Guy, but there just wasn't enough time for the romance to be developed and feel believable.
⭐⭐⭐/5
🔥🔥🔥/5
Tropes:
Forced marriage
Close Proximity
Class Difference
This one had the best premise so far but the execution was a tad messy and confusing. There was just way too much going on and I feel like the plot was way too expansive for a novella and that's why it came off as confusing. The romance was okay but it was not the focus so I found it pretty weak. The end like in Bait was sort of HFN. Felt very abrupt and tied up in a hurry. I liked the MMC, a horny cyborg who was a Wife Guy, but there just wasn't enough time for the romance to be developed and feel believable.
⭐⭐⭐/5
🔥🔥🔥/5
Tropes:
Forced marriage
Close Proximity
Class Difference
October 9, 2025
A masterpiece!!! I’m obsessed with everything about this! I loved Fawl and how unique she was from everyone else from the way she looked to the way she spoke, she had me in stitches so many times!! Ben was amazing, I love how he completely transformed and how obsessed he was with his wife! I adored Ben and Fawl together, they were such a power couple!! The world building was so captivating, I loved the setting, the system, the body mods!! Even though this was a novella everything was so descriptive and there was truly nothing missing! AMAZING!!
August 25, 2026
4 STARS!
His grip may be firm, but the trap he's set is tender. I'm caught. Fully.Such a unique premise! And the best of the series so far. I'll definitely check out more by this author 😍
October 10, 2025
3.5 stars // conflicted because the premise was really cool and i loved Ben and Fawl, but i feel like i was confused more than i should have been. it’s possible that i am simply dumb and/or not used to sci-fi/dystopian world-building, but some things were not clicking in my brain.
and while i would never factor this into ratings — this had more than a few errors, as did Bait (book two of the after the end collection). i can't fathom the level of work it takes to write a book, so i generally overlook the small things, but i wish these novellas were given another copyedit before going live.
and while i would never factor this into ratings — this had more than a few errors, as did Bait (book two of the after the end collection). i can't fathom the level of work it takes to write a book, so i generally overlook the small things, but i wish these novellas were given another copyedit before going live.
November 24, 2025
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — Skyn by Nikki Payne
❝ You are not my skyn bride but my wife. And I intend to treat you like one with full right. ❞
Tell me why THIS line alone had me kicking my feet like an idiot? Cyborg husband declaring ownership rights like we’re in some dystopian chapel at the end of the world? Yeah. I ate that up.
This story dropped me straight into a world where “perfection” means slicing away everything human. Where Skyn women — fully human, unmodified — are treated like defective models, and the only thing that matters is how many implants you can survive without dying. And poor Fawl? She can’t take the implants because she’s literally allergic to them… so her husband trades her out like old hardware and marries her stepsister instead. The betrayal? The humiliation? The FAMILY being complicit in it? I felt every sharp edge of it.
And then — the plot twist that rewired my whole brain — Fawl ends up agreeing to become a Skyn bride just to claw her way up to the Surface. To survive. To reclaim some damn agency.
Except the whole thing backfires because she gets claimed by Ben — the Elite, 80% machine, politically dangerous, emotionally unreadable man who marries her purely to spite the family that owns half the sky.
And listen… Ben? BEN??
I was not prepared.
The man is respectful, terrifying, protective, and so unintentionally tender it physically hurt. He treats Fawl like a person even when the rest of their world sees her as scrap metal. He defends her. He chooses her. And the way he becomes obsessed with her human softness — her skin, her emotions, her reality — felt like the exact inverse of every tech-bro fantasy in fiction. Nikki Payne knew exactly what she was doing. This book isn’t just romance, it’s social commentary served with metallic fangs.
There’s body-mod horror, political scheming, family betrayal, tech cult nonsense, and yes — hints of cannibalistic fetishism because this universe refuses to let you breathe even once. And it WORKS. Somehow, it works. It’s grotesque and beautiful and so strangely intimate I couldn’t stop listening.
The only moment that annoyed me was the arranged marriage subplot with Lilly — the programmable “ideal companion” he’s supposed to want. And yet watching him glitch out emotionally because he starts wanting Fawl instead? That was chef’s kiss. That was the moment I knew this man was cooked.
This novella gave me a power couple who crawled through class warfare, cybernetics, underground politics, and family sabotage just to come out on top. Fawl and Ben are feral, loyal, and beautifully mismatched — human softness meets mechanical devotion — and by the end I was genuinely feral for them.
I swear… this one might actually be my favorite in the whole collection.
And maybe that’s because, if the apocalypse came tomorrow, I too would be choosing my robot AI boyfriend. And apparently Nikki Payne wrote him for me.
Cyborg husband supremacy forever. 🤖❤️
❝ You are not my skyn bride but my wife. And I intend to treat you like one with full right. ❞
Tell me why THIS line alone had me kicking my feet like an idiot? Cyborg husband declaring ownership rights like we’re in some dystopian chapel at the end of the world? Yeah. I ate that up.
This story dropped me straight into a world where “perfection” means slicing away everything human. Where Skyn women — fully human, unmodified — are treated like defective models, and the only thing that matters is how many implants you can survive without dying. And poor Fawl? She can’t take the implants because she’s literally allergic to them… so her husband trades her out like old hardware and marries her stepsister instead. The betrayal? The humiliation? The FAMILY being complicit in it? I felt every sharp edge of it.
And then — the plot twist that rewired my whole brain — Fawl ends up agreeing to become a Skyn bride just to claw her way up to the Surface. To survive. To reclaim some damn agency.
Except the whole thing backfires because she gets claimed by Ben — the Elite, 80% machine, politically dangerous, emotionally unreadable man who marries her purely to spite the family that owns half the sky.
And listen… Ben? BEN??
I was not prepared.
The man is respectful, terrifying, protective, and so unintentionally tender it physically hurt. He treats Fawl like a person even when the rest of their world sees her as scrap metal. He defends her. He chooses her. And the way he becomes obsessed with her human softness — her skin, her emotions, her reality — felt like the exact inverse of every tech-bro fantasy in fiction. Nikki Payne knew exactly what she was doing. This book isn’t just romance, it’s social commentary served with metallic fangs.
There’s body-mod horror, political scheming, family betrayal, tech cult nonsense, and yes — hints of cannibalistic fetishism because this universe refuses to let you breathe even once. And it WORKS. Somehow, it works. It’s grotesque and beautiful and so strangely intimate I couldn’t stop listening.
The only moment that annoyed me was the arranged marriage subplot with Lilly — the programmable “ideal companion” he’s supposed to want. And yet watching him glitch out emotionally because he starts wanting Fawl instead? That was chef’s kiss. That was the moment I knew this man was cooked.
This novella gave me a power couple who crawled through class warfare, cybernetics, underground politics, and family sabotage just to come out on top. Fawl and Ben are feral, loyal, and beautifully mismatched — human softness meets mechanical devotion — and by the end I was genuinely feral for them.
I swear… this one might actually be my favorite in the whole collection.
And maybe that’s because, if the apocalypse came tomorrow, I too would be choosing my robot AI boyfriend. And apparently Nikki Payne wrote him for me.
Cyborg husband supremacy forever. 🤖❤️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2025
Постапокаліпс в стилі кіберпанку. Задумка цікава і можливо було б краще щоб це була повноцінна книга, а не новела, бо в новелу важко всунути всю ту історію, в ідеалі з якимись флешбеками. а так було дещо скомкано, багато про що доводилося здогадуватися.
June 21, 2026
4.5 / 5 ⭐
3.5 / 5 🌶️
FMC POV 👀
Spicy chapters: 16, 18, 19, 20, 23 🔥
Ben (MMC) and Fawl (FMC)
I adore the MCs in this story: The MMC Ben is such a strong, kind sweetheart who is 85% robot 🤖. In contrast, the FMC Fawl is an unaltered, smart, badass woman who fights for what's right. 👏 👏 👏
This book is very well written, the story is sooooo engaging and entertaining.
Even though this is a short novella, there's an intricate story and the characters anve plenty of emotional depth. I highly recommend this one.
And btw, the spice is delicious and HOT 🔥 🌶 🥵 .
Happy reading 📚
3.5 / 5 🌶️
FMC POV 👀
Spicy chapters: 16, 18, 19, 20, 23 🔥
Ben (MMC) and Fawl (FMC)
I adore the MCs in this story: The MMC Ben is such a strong, kind sweetheart who is 85% robot 🤖. In contrast, the FMC Fawl is an unaltered, smart, badass woman who fights for what's right. 👏 👏 👏
This book is very well written, the story is sooooo engaging and entertaining.
Even though this is a short novella, there's an intricate story and the characters anve plenty of emotional depth. I highly recommend this one.
And btw, the spice is delicious and HOT 🔥 🌶 🥵 .
Happy reading 📚
October 16, 2025
Nikki! Can I call you Nikki? You have a new fan. I’m a SFR reader and this was a great read. I wasn’t expecting to get so sucked into this book but here we are. The society was a futuristic dystopian nightmare that managed to mirror the class inequality in modern society. I enjoyed it a lot. I wish it was longer so I could see more of the world. I really hope that you opt to write more SFR. I need more worlds created by you. 🤞
November 3, 2025
This book is half baked nonsense. The Lore doesn’t make sense the world building doesn’t make sense. The plot doesn’t make sense.
Somebody should’ve edited this book before it was published
Somebody should’ve edited this book before it was published
June 10, 2026
ідея цікава, як люди оце модифікують власні тіла (щось типу uglies, але кіберпанковіше), але виконання ну настільки нудне і confusing, що просто ні.
October 17, 2025
3⭐, 📱 ebook, 2🌶️
I want to say the key take away from this book is "beauty is an illusion and women are obsessed with it. the 'lastest trend' is controlled by a fickle god." anyway slightly confusing plot but that's what I took from it. glad to be apart of the Kickstarter!
I want to say the key take away from this book is "beauty is an illusion and women are obsessed with it. the 'lastest trend' is controlled by a fickle god." anyway slightly confusing plot but that's what I took from it. glad to be apart of the Kickstarter!
December 8, 2025
Skyn features Fawl, human and Ben, cyborg. In this post apocalyptic world, society is divided into regular ish humans underground in the mines and cyborgs above ground. When Fawl’s life implodes, she signs up to be a skin bride, a play thing for a rich and powerful cyborg.
This was wayyyy too complex of world building for the novella length. I still don’t get why Fawl had a diamond or how she was able to get it if it’s some sort of elite thing. Ben going off his dampeners was fun but the politics got confusing and I honestly don’t understand the solution they came up with in the end. But yay, they won?
This was wayyyy too complex of world building for the novella length. I still don’t get why Fawl had a diamond or how she was able to get it if it’s some sort of elite thing. Ben going off his dampeners was fun but the politics got confusing and I honestly don’t understand the solution they came up with in the end. But yay, they won?
October 11, 2025
this felt super slow for the first 20% but after that? phew. but i do understand that the beginning was needed for world building.
i love love love Ben, he’s so “hate everyone but my wife”. he’s soft for Fawl, obsessed, yearning to touch her, on his knees, in love with her!!!! i also love the “first time being truly seen” trope and both Fawl and Ben were that for each other. they have my heart.
i loved the balance between plot and character. the world was set up thoroughly while focusing on how the characters interact and working the plot into that, instead of being too much of one or as if they didn’t make sense together. i loved the idea of skin vs modded. the way real world politics and commentary were included. the way Fawl and Ben interact. SKYN gave me all the character interaction i wanted while also discussing some insanely real world issues. this book is so beautifully balanced.
i love love love Ben, he’s so “hate everyone but my wife”. he’s soft for Fawl, obsessed, yearning to touch her, on his knees, in love with her!!!! i also love the “first time being truly seen” trope and both Fawl and Ben were that for each other. they have my heart.
i loved the balance between plot and character. the world was set up thoroughly while focusing on how the characters interact and working the plot into that, instead of being too much of one or as if they didn’t make sense together. i loved the idea of skin vs modded. the way real world politics and commentary were included. the way Fawl and Ben interact. SKYN gave me all the character interaction i wanted while also discussing some insanely real world issues. this book is so beautifully balanced.
December 1, 2025
1.5⭐️ this didn’t work at all as a novella. the world building was so confusing and lacking. the ending rly made no sense and felt rushed. i truly couldn’t tell you what the point of a diamond is ? are there other gem stones ? is it in the center of her chest or her shoulder ? (i swear the location changed twice) and the random hashtag in the book threw me off big time. why would you put a hashtag in your story? pls i hate it bad.
December 6, 2025
I was mildly confused for the majority of this book.
Horny robots???
Book Ranking
1. Trade by Cate C. Wells - 4 stars
2. Brood by Claire Kent - 4 stars
3. First by Ali Hazelwood - 3.5 stars
4. Skin by Nikki Payne - 3 stars
5. M.A.Y.A by Nina Saxena - 2.5 stars
6. Bait by Adriana Herrera - 1.5 stars
7. Taken by Elizabeth Stephens - 1 star
8. Prima by Sherry Thomas - 0.5 star
Horny robots???
Book Ranking
1. Trade by Cate C. Wells - 4 stars
2. Brood by Claire Kent - 4 stars
3. First by Ali Hazelwood - 3.5 stars
4. Skin by Nikki Payne - 3 stars
5. M.A.Y.A by Nina Saxena - 2.5 stars
6. Bait by Adriana Herrera - 1.5 stars
7. Taken by Elizabeth Stephens - 1 star
8. Prima by Sherry Thomas - 0.5 star
October 19, 2025
day two of begging this series to get an editor
October 24, 2025
I could see the vision but this tried to fit way too much into a short novella. 🤖 1.5
June 30, 2026
Payne’s Skyn takes place in a world where humans live underground attempting to emulate the robots (AI?) who rule the humans from above. The story begins with Fawl getting an augmentation (a diamond placed in her collarbone). Her boyfriend breaks up with her after his own augmentation that makes him think he’s better than her.
Skyn started with an interesting premise, but quickly devolved into the author biting off more than she could chew. The world building suffers the most as it's too complex for a novella of only 200 pages. So much is not explained or left half finished. For example, what was the point of Fawl’s diamond?
Skyn reads like it was written by two different people. The first half of the novella focused on world building and setting up the plot. The second half of the novel focused on the spice and started to use present real world vernacular. For example, Fawl said “An actual bride, I fear.”
Skyn had an intriguing concept and moments of potential, but its ambitious ideas needed more space to fully develop. Between the underexplained world-building and abrupt tonal shift, the novella ultimately left me wanting more cohesion than it delivered.
Skyn started with an interesting premise, but quickly devolved into the author biting off more than she could chew. The world building suffers the most as it's too complex for a novella of only 200 pages. So much is not explained or left half finished. For example, what was the point of Fawl’s diamond?
Skyn reads like it was written by two different people. The first half of the novella focused on world building and setting up the plot. The second half of the novel focused on the spice and started to use present real world vernacular. For example, Fawl said “An actual bride, I fear.”
Skyn had an intriguing concept and moments of potential, but its ambitious ideas needed more space to fully develop. Between the underexplained world-building and abrupt tonal shift, the novella ultimately left me wanting more cohesion than it delivered.
October 11, 2025
3.5 rounded up to four stars
I've been so excited for the After the End (ATE) novellas since they were announced and I'm so happy I kicked off the series with Skyn.
My expectations for each of these novellas is that they balance commentary (on class, race, etc) with romance and spice, and this one delivered! Tackling issues ranging from beauty standards to wealth inequities, Skyn explored so much in its 200-ish pages and left me feeling hopeful that a better world IS possible.
Let's be real, who doesn't need that these days?
I'm also an absolute sucker for romance novels with the trope (if we can call it that) of being fully seen for the first time. Both Fawl and Ben get to experience this and it had me kicking my feet and cheering!
I'm also very very glad for how things ended with Dru. I was worried there for a hot sec and so glad I didn't need to be!
As with many short stories and novellas, there were some world-building elements I wish had been more fleshed out. For example, the statuses confused me - i get what it means to be a diamond in this world but not how it works.
CNs: body shaming, domestic abuse (mention), non consensual touch (brief), cannabalism (mention), sex under influence
Maybe that's all you can really ask for in the end—not certainty, not perfection, but someone to stand beside you when the world falls apart.
I've been so excited for the After the End (ATE) novellas since they were announced and I'm so happy I kicked off the series with Skyn.
My expectations for each of these novellas is that they balance commentary (on class, race, etc) with romance and spice, and this one delivered! Tackling issues ranging from beauty standards to wealth inequities, Skyn explored so much in its 200-ish pages and left me feeling hopeful that a better world IS possible.
Let's be real, who doesn't need that these days?
I'm also an absolute sucker for romance novels with the trope (if we can call it that) of being fully seen for the first time. Both Fawl and Ben get to experience this and it had me kicking my feet and cheering!
I'm also very very glad for how things ended with Dru. I was worried there for a hot sec and so glad I didn't need to be!
As with many short stories and novellas, there were some world-building elements I wish had been more fleshed out. For example, the statuses confused me - i get what it means to be a diamond in this world but not how it works.
CNs: body shaming, domestic abuse (mention), non consensual touch (brief), cannabalism (mention), sex under influence
May 23, 2026
This is what all the people with ChatGPT partners think they're doing.
Fawl has worked her ass off to get the Diamond status to be enough for her and her boyfriend to go above ground. When he dumps her for her stepsister, she takes a stupid deal, gets out of the Underground by digging up dirt on the Iku family. It's easier said than done as she finds herself married to a machine obsessed with her skin.
WEIIIIRD PREMISE I KNOOOOW, but when I tell you out of the three After the End books I've read so far, this one has the best plot??? THE POLITICS were crazy, and I really like the personality of both Ben and Fawl. Not BAD, NIKKI PAYNE.
Fawl has worked her ass off to get the Diamond status to be enough for her and her boyfriend to go above ground. When he dumps her for her stepsister, she takes a stupid deal, gets out of the Underground by digging up dirt on the Iku family. It's easier said than done as she finds herself married to a machine obsessed with her skin.
WEIIIIRD PREMISE I KNOOOOW, but when I tell you out of the three After the End books I've read so far, this one has the best plot??? THE POLITICS were crazy, and I really like the personality of both Ben and Fawl. Not BAD, NIKKI PAYNE.
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